The dirtiest part of plane? It's right in front of you

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The dirtiest part of a plane is not the toilet but right in front of your seat, according to new research.

An evaluation of germs per square inch on different surfaces in airports and on planes found that the average tray table harbours nearly 20 times more bacteria than the aircraft toilet flush.

Travelmath.com , a travel website, sent a microbiologist to take samples from five different airports and four flights to establish which is the grubbiest part of a plane.

The results showed that behind the tray table were 2,155 germ colony–forming units per square inch (CFU/sq.in), while drinking fountain buttons in airports were found to have 1,240 CFU/sq.in, followed by the dial to control the overhead air vents above your seat, which had 285 CFU/sq.in. The buckle of a seat belt was found to have 230 CFU/sq.in, while the bathroom locks in an airport were relatively clean, with just 70 CFU/sq.in.

To put the cleanliness of planes into perspective, the American National Science Foundation says that kitchen counters have 361 CDU/sq.in, toilet seats at home 172 CFU/sq. in and mobile phones 27 CFU/sq.in.

All 26 samples from the aircraft and airports used this study tested negative for the presence of harmful fecal coliforms such as E. coli, Travelmath.com said.

A spokesperson for the experiment said: “Surprisingly, it is the one surface that our food rests on – the tray table that was the dirtiest of all the locations and surfaces tested.

“Since this could provide bacteria direct transmission to your mouth, a clear takeaway from this is to eliminate any direct contact your food has with the tray table.”

The study called for increased efficiency in boarding procedures to allow more time for cabin crew to clean the plane properly, including the tray tables, which it claimed are only cleaned at the end of the day due to time pressures brought on by tight flight schedules.

The latest report is not the first time the cleanliness of aircraft has been questioned. A study by Auburn University in Alabama last year found that disease-causing bacteria can survive for up to a week inside plane cabins, on surfaces such as seat pockets, tray tables, window shades and arm rests.

A report from the Wall Street Journal in 2007 claimed that airlines washed their blankets as rarely as once every 30 days, while Telegraph Travel reported earlier this year that airline Cathay Pacific had to hand out bottled water to passengers after 10 per cent of its fleet failed to meet the minimum hygiene standards for water.